Fabric-manipulating apparatus



y 7, 2 R. D. EVANS I FABRIC MANIPULATING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 10, 1928 gwventoz M16 2. 1E Vans.

Patented M 7 1929. a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RHYS I). EVANS, F AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR" TO THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FABRIC-MANIPULATING AIIPARATUS.

Application filed January 10, 1928. Serial No. 245,655.

My invention relates to mechanisms for manipulating web material such as fabric, and it has particular relation to a mechanism for laterally stretching and smoothing wrinkles from relatively wide strips of such material.

One object of the invention is to provide a device that. will uniformly widen fabric strips being passed thereover throughout their widths.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fabric smoothing andwidening device which may be so adjusted as to provide any desired degree of widening or smoothing action upon the fabric.

I'Ieretofore, various devices have been employed for spreading and smoothing fabrics while they were being wound upon rollers. One device so employed consisted of a widening bar having diverging ridges formed thereon. The angles formed between these ridges and the transverse center line of the bar however were uniform and the spreading force progressively increased toward the mid portion of the bar, thereby creating a tendency to stretch excessively the mid-portions of the fabric strip, and at the same time to leave the marginal portions. thereof in sufiiciently stretched. ,t

In a device constructed according to this invention, ridges that are formed upon a member for widening the fabric are disposed at varying angles with respect to the transverse center-line of the member. Such angles are proportional to the distance of the respective ridges from the center-line. The device is also provided with mechanism whereby the area of contact between the surface and the fabric passing thereover may be varied in order to obtain any desired degree of spreading action.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may now be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, of which; a

Fig.1 is an endelevational-view disclosing diagrammatically one form of the invention; a i

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the widening plate disclosed by Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of another form of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view disclosing in detail the arrangement of the ridges upon the widening roller disclosed by Fig. 3.

In practising the invention, journal brackets 5 aresecured adjacent the path of travel of a relatively wide sheet of fabric 6, which, for purposes of illustration, is shown as traveling from a supply roller 7 to a synchronously driven rewinding roller 8. These brackets rotatably support a horizon tal shaft 9, to which are attached radially disposed spokes 10 and 11. The outer ends of the latter support an elongate transverse ly curved plate or bar 12, the upper surface of which has varying radii of curvature, and engages the traveling sheet of fabric 6. In order that the plate 12 may have a spreading and smoothing action upon the fabric, the upper surfacethereof is provided with transversely disposed widening elements 1+1 and 15, which may be in the form. ofeither grooves or ridges, but preferably ridges. The central ridge 14 is disposed in parallel alignment with respect to the line of travel of the fabric, and the side ridges 15 are so disposed upon each side of the central ridge 14; as to divergerin opposite directions with respect to each other. The angle between each side ridge 15 and the central ridge 14 is somewhat less than the angle between the central ridge and each succeeding ridge. In other words, the angle between the central ridge and the side ridges 15 is proportional to the distance of the side ridge from the central ridge. v

A suitable mechanism for tilting the plate 12 in order to vary the area of contact betweenthe surface of the plate and thefabric traveling thereover comprises a pair of vertically disposed brackets 17 secured adjacent the end of the plate and provided with axially aligned journal bearings 19. Within the journal portions are rotatably mounted bearing portions 20 of a worm 22 that meshes with a worm gear 23 secured to the shaft 9. The worm is also provided at one end with an actuating crank 24, and is provided intermediate the crank and the adjacent bearing portion 20, with a collar 26 having detent openings 27 formed therein.

A plate 28' is secured-to the upper side of the bearing member 19 adjacent the collar 26 and the portion of the plate overhanging the collar 26 is provided with a member 30 of inverted U-shape. The plate 28 and the bight portion of the member 30 are both formed with openings registering with the openings 27 in the collar 26, and a latch bolt 31 is mounted therein. The lower end of the latch bolt is projected into the openings 27 by means of a coil spring 33 which engagesa collar 34 secured adjacent the end of the bolt.

In the operation of the device, fabric, for example cord fabric employed in the manufacture of pneumatic tires, is drawn from the roller 7 over the upper surface of the plate 12 and around the rewinding roller 8. The crank 24 is then so rotated as to tilt the plate 12. It will be observed that since the plate has a continuously varying crosssectional curvature it is possible by'so tilting the plate to bring that portion of the surface thereof into contact with the fabric that will insure the desired degree of spreading action. i

In the form of the invention illustrated by Figs. 3 and 4, a frame40. comprising upright members 41' and 42, supports a platform 43, that is provided with bearings 44. Within the bearings are rotatably mounted the end portions of a shaft 46 which supports a rotatable drum 47.

The surface of the drum engages a strip of fabric 58 traveling thereover and'in order to apply a spreading force to the fabric the surface of the drum is provided with suitable fabric spreading ridges 59 and 60. As best shown by Fig. 4, the central ridge 59 extends circumferentially about the drum, in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis thereof, but the ridges 60 upon each side thereof extend spirally about the drum at a continuously increasing pitch with respect to" the central ridge 59. Since the pitch of the spirally extending ridges continuously increases from the mid-portionof the drum toward the ends, the convolutions of the ridgemay become so widely spaced as to prevent the desired spreading action pon the cloth. In order to insure proper functioning of the drum, short auxiliary ridges 61 extending part of the distance from the ends of the drum toward'the midportion are formed between the convolutions of the ridges As many additional ridges are formed as inay be desired in order to obtain the desired spreading action.

. The extremity of the shaft 46 is provided with a sprocket gear-65 having a sprocket chain 66 trainedthereabout which is also trained about a second sprocket gear 67 v mounted upon the extremity of a drive shaft 68 of a motor 69 which may be driven at any desired speed.

'The fabric 58 is illustrated as traveling from a' supply"roller to a rewinding rolleirb76. However, any other suitable means may be provided for supplying and receiving the fabric. A suitable mechanism for varying the area of contact between the fabric and the surface of the drum includes supports 79 and81'which are placed upon each side of the drum. The supports are provided with guideways 8'2 and 83 within which bearing blocks 84. and 86 are slidably mounted. The latter members rolalably support the ends of shafts 87 and 88, upon which are mounted idler rollers 89. In order to raise or lower the idler rollers the blocks 84 and 86 are secured to screws 91 and 92 rotatable therein which extend upwardly through screw-lln-eaded openings formed in blocks 93 and 94 bolted within the upper portions of the guideways 82 and 83 respectively. The upper ends of the screws are provided with nuts 96 and 97 whereby they may be rotated by means of any suitable wrench.

In the operation of this form of the invention the end of a sheet of fabric 58 wound upon the roller 75 is trained under the adjacent idler roller 89, over the upper surface of the spreading drum 47 and under the other idler roller. The adjusting screws 91 and 92 are then so operated as to raise or lower the rollers and thus to bring the desired area of fabric into contact with the surface of the drum 47. In this manner the desired degree of spreading or stretching of the fabric is obtained. The spreading action may also be governed by regulating the speed of the motor 53 to increase or decrease the relative rate of travel between the upper surface of the drum and the lower surface of the fabric.

' It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided a relatively simple mechanism whereby fabrics of various kinds may be uniformly widened from the center toward the edges thereof. These mechanisms may also be so adjusted or regulated as to obtain any desired degree of widening action upon the fabric.

Although I have illustrated only the preferred forms which the invention may assume and described those forms in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but that various minor modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

" 1. A device for spreading and smoothing fabric comprising a body of curved crosssectional contour having a linearly extending center line and a fabric contacting surface, diverging ridges formed upon each side of the transverse center line of the body, the ridges upon opposite sides of the transverse center line diverging in opposite directions, the angle between each ridge and the longitudinal center line being proportional to the distance of the ridge from the transverse center line and means for varying 2. A device for Widening and smoothing fabric comprising a plate having'a contact surface, diverging fabric spreading ridges formed upon the surface and means to vary the area of contact between the contact surface and a sheet of fabric traveling thereover including mechanism for tilting the plate.

3. A device for widening and smoothing fabric comprising a curved plate having a varying degree of curvature, fabric spreading ridges formed upon the surface of the plate and means to vary the area of contact between the contact surface and a sheet of fabric traveling thereover comprising means for tilting the plate about a longitudinally disposed axis.

4. A device for Widening and smoothing fabric comprising a plate having varying radii of curvature, diverging ridges formed upon the surface of the plate, the angle of divergence being proportional to the distance of the ridge from the transverse center line of the plate and means to tilt the plate.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

BHYS D. EVANS. 

